Have you noticed a rash of references to public radio in TV shows and movies recently? Crime drama NCIS Los Angeles featured a dog who reportedly loves All Things Considered, sitcom Parks and Recreationspoofed a public radio show, and the movie 50/50 has a character who is employed at a public radio station. The This is NPR blog has all the profile-raising details.

Thanks for subscribing to the KGOU e-Newsletter. Send feedback to the editor at membership@kgou.org.

Native American children make up more than 60 percent of South Dakota's foster care system, even though they are only eight percent of the population. An investigative report from NPR's Laura Sullivan finds that thousands of Native American children in South Dakota have been pulled out of their homes and placed in state-run foster care, in apparent violation of the Indian Child Welfare Act.

The series begins this afternoon on All Things Considered and culminates with discussion on Talk of the Nation next Monday, Oct. 31. See recent NPR News investigations.

Fall Membership Drive Update

KGOU's fall membership drive is making some progress as we work behind the scenes (mostly) to raise the necessary funds to meet the station's financial obligations. We are just under $20,000 away from reaching our goal of $170,000 in support pledged.

If you pledged before, during or after our two-day on-air membership drive, thank you! If you'd like to make a first-time pledge or renewal of support, you can use our online pledge forms or call our pledge line at 325-5468 (toll-free 866-533-2470) during business hours.

NPR News Series: Darkhorse Battalion

The Darkhorse Battalion deployed for seven months to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, suffering the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit in the 10 years of the Afghan war. NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman examines what happened during their deployment, and introduces listeners to some of the Marines who served in the unit. This week-long series airs on All Things Considered beginning Monday, Oct. 31.

All Things Considered Launches Kids' Book Club

This month, All Things Considered launches the Back Seat Book Club, a special segment aimed at young people between the ages of 9 to 14, hosted by Michele Norris. The book club encourages engagement with children -- the kids who listen to the program along with their parents. Each month ATC chooses a special book and asks kids to read it and submit questions or comments for the author to backseatbookclub@npr.org.

The club kicks off next Monday, Oct. 31, with The Graveyard Book by English author Neil Gaiman, which won the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Novel, Newbery Medal, and Locus Award for Best Young Adult novel, as well as the 2010 Carnegie Medal. The book for November is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

New Semester for Assignment: Radio

KGOU's student brodcasters have been hard at work reporting on issues on the University of Oklahoma campus. The second episode of the fall season of Assignment: Radio airs this Sunday, Oct. 30 at 12:30 p.m.

Reporters Meredith Everitt and A.J. Soliven and Producer/Host Clay Tucker tackle hard news stories for this episode, and the topics they've chosen to cover are atheism in Oklahoma and the proposed ban on tobacco use for the entire OU campus. You can hear their first efforts in the first show of the season in the KGOU archives.

Capitol Steps: Politics Takes a Holiday on Halloween

What's scarier than the White House and Congress locked in battle and less frequent than a GOP presidential debate? Why, it's the Capitol Steps' wacky take on the news in their annual Halloween special.

Tune in Sunday, Oct. 30 at noon or Monday, Oct. 31 at 6:30 p.m. for the Steps' latest musical parodies featuring Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Barack Obama, and the entire Congressional Super Committee! If you just can't wait for the irreverent hilarity, here's a sneak peek at their website.

Ticket Giveaway: Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical masterpiece explores the life of French pointillist painter Georges Seurat. OU's Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre presents Sunday In The Park With George in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center, 560 Parrington Oval in Norman. We have eight pairs of tickets to give away for the performance on Friday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. Enter our drawing to win! Drawing will take place on Thursday, Oct. 27, and winners can claim their tickets at the box office.